Britain announced that its Typhoon fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers while they were conducting patrols in international airspace north of Scotland on Monday, within the boundaries of NATO's northern airspace. British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey stated, "The Typhoon pilots launched to intercept two long-range Russian bombers this morning and monitored them as they flew north of the Shetland Islands, prepared to address any potential threat to the UK."
Britain added that it routinely sends its fighters in such situations to secure and protect its airspace. It noted that several British pilots recently led a NATO air policing mission in Estonia, during which they carried out over 50 intercept operations involving aircraft. Russia previously stated that the strategic bombers were conducting routine patrols over international waters in the Arctic Ocean.
